Apostolos Nikolaidis Απόστολος Νικολαΐδης

The Book

A life in music meticulously documented.

Apostolos Nikolaidis (1938–1999) was a trailblazing voice in Greek laïká music, known for his memorable interpretations of songs that defined an entire era. Born in Drama and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece, he worked in construction at a young age before pursuing his passion for music, inspired by Stelios Kazantzidis. He launched his career with Columbia in Athens in the 1960s, but it was in North America that he found his true calling: recording “outlawed” rebétika songs in their original lyrics, sparking a revival of the genre for a new generation.

More than a decade in the making, his daughter Maria’s 508-page bilingual monograph draws on years of original research across the United States, Canada and Greece. This handsome, full-color cultural artifact is meant to be enjoyed across generations.